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As always, METT-T determines application. Gross generalizations are just that-gross and generalized. Our own force commanders were begging for heavy armor in Mogadishu back 1994…and had to borrow from the Pakistanis IIRC. Plenty of examples in Iraq where mixed combat teams were integral to mission success-Fallujah, 2004 comes to mind.

Commanders need to display some elasticity with some of these "axioms" commonly tossed about.

"This aggression will not stand, man!" Jeff Lebowski"The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool." Lester Bangs

Does this invisible tank have a radar of it's own? Presumably so in which case it is NOT invisible.

indeed it has one. Moreover, its defense system requires this radar to be actively emitting, as its most serious automatic defense system - Afghanit, cannot work with radar in passive regime. I am relying here on forum discussions in Russian web.

clearly radar makes this tank more visible than any other tank in the world.

Nonetheless, clearly this is the most advanced tank, at present no other tank in the world can match it in capabilities.

The only thing which is limiting it - the cost. Some people in Russian web doubt the official statements about its cost, the reason for that is its Active Defense System with radars, if it is done properly it should be quite expensive solution for a ground vehicle.

indeed it has one. Moreover, its defense system requires this radar to be actively emitting, as its most serious automatic defense system - Afghanit, cannot work with radar in passive regime. I am relying here on forum discussions in Russian web.

clearly radar makes this tank more visible than any other tank in the world.

Nonetheless, clearly this is the most advanced tank, at present no other tank in the world can match it in capabilities.

The only thing which is limiting it - the cost. Some people in Russian web doubt the official statements about its cost, the reason for that is its Active Defense System with radars, if it is done properly it should be quite expensive solution for a ground vehicle.

Advanced in what sense? Its turret armor isn't too impressive, for starters.

Advanced in what sense? Its turret armor isn't too impressive, for starters.

It has some interesting features.

The turret armor may not be too impressive, but because the turret is remotely controlled it may not have to be. The crew sit up front in an armored capsule. The 12.7 mm machine gun is also remotely controlled and can be swapped for a 30mm Anti-Aircraft cannon if desired.

It weighs only 48 tons allowing for easier transportation than many Western designs, and has both reactive armor (including top mounted ERA), a decoy/disruption system for guided munitions, and an active protection hard kill system.

And of course, they put some thought into masking the tank's radar and thermal signatures from aircraft. Now it is doubtful that it is very hard to find when charging across the steppes at 50kph, with it's active protection system emitting radar. But if it can blend in with ground cover while idling with the APS off, or even look like something that isn't a tank, that could still be quite a boon.

All in all it seems to have the most comprehensive protection suite put on a production tank so far. How well the systems perform independently and synergistically remains to be seen, but the potential is certainly there.

indeed it has one. Moreover, its defense system requires this radar to be actively emitting, as its most serious automatic defense system - Afghanit, cannot work with radar in passive regime. I am relying here on forum discussions in Russian web.

clearly radar makes this tank more visible than any other tank in the world.

Not really, it depends on whose listening. An F-22/35 or Kolchuga can likely hear it, but who else?

Nonetheless, clearly this is the most advanced tank, at present no other tank in the world can match it in capabilities.

it might be the most advanced depending on the quality of its FCS and optics. New features are nice but only is they give the tank something useful. Russian optics have been lacking for decades. As for capabilities, this is open ended. We know for example that the Abrams has the worlds hardest hitting gun (unless the Armata is better), best FLIR system, awesome FCS and the reliability and crew comfort to deliver a Abrams with crew and tank in fighting trim 416 miles through enemy opposition and serious sand storms. Something no 3 person crewed tank can do, inherent to the weaknesses of a 3 man crew. Even the Armata can't match the Abrams frontal armor, though many tanks have better side protection. Capability is always a trade off, a tank can be good in somethings and OK in others, or great in somethings and terrible at others. The closest thing to a perfect tank is likely the Leo2A6M+, but the Abrams M1A2SEPv2TUSK beats it in some areas. The Armata will likely beat the Abrams in some areas and lose it in others.

The only thing which is limiting it - the cost. Some people in Russian web doubt the official statements about its cost, the reason for that is its Active Defense System with radars, if it is done properly it should be quite expensive solution for a ground vehicle.

The real limiting factor is cost and reliability. I wont be impressed until it proves it can timex (take a licking and keep on ticking).

Not really, it depends on whose listening. An F-22/35 or Kolchuga can likely hear it, but who else?

it might be the most advanced depending on the quality of its FCS and optics. New features are nice but only is they give the tank something useful. Russian optics have been lacking for decades. As for capabilities, this is open ended. We know for example that the Abrams has the worlds hardest hitting gun (unless the Armata is better), best FLIR system, awesome FCS and the reliability and crew comfort to deliver a Abrams with crew and tank in fighting trim 416 miles through enemy opposition and serious sand storms. Something no 3 person crewed tank can do, inherent to the weaknesses of a 3 man crew. Even the Armata can't match the Abrams frontal armor, though many tanks have better side protection. Capability is always a trade off, a tank can be good in somethings and OK in others, or great in somethings and terrible at others. The closest thing to a perfect tank is likely the Leo2A6M+, but the Abrams M1A2SEPv2TUSK beats it in some areas. The Armata will likely beat the Abrams in some areas and lose it in others.

The real limiting factor is cost and reliability. I wont be impressed until it proves it can timex (take a licking and keep on ticking).

thank you for interesting comment. I will be following news releases and forum discussions on T-14 and will post any new information if it is out.

So far many of the questions which you pointed are not yet clear. It is not even clear what type of a autoloader the T-14 has.... some people state that it has a one autoloader + manual loading.... some state that this is a nonsense and it has two autoloaders - one in hull and smaller in turret.... what is for surely stated by Uralvagozavod that it has some autoloader and can shoot projectiles with length of up to 1.2 meters. However it is not clear how it is technically resolved.

More information is becoming available. The IR visibility of T-14 is really lower than from a small scouter. The radar emission is not working most of the time - too energy consuming! Another interesting feature is being tested - radar+computer can disclose a shooting cannon/tank by trajectory of the shell and target tank's weapons on the source of the projectile.... automatic mode.

the speculation in forums tend to conclude that it has two loaders - high speed loader in the hull, and low speed loader for longer antitank projectiles in the back of its turret. the weight of the tank is variable - 48 tons on light armored transported version to 55 tons if all the armor is installed. Armor installation can be done in just 1 hour at destination place. Damaged armor can be easily replaced after engagement.

“We had been hopelessly labouring to plough waste lands; to make nationality grow in a place full of the certainty of God… Among the tribes our creed could be only like the desert grass – a beautiful swift seeming of spring; which, after a day’s heat, fell dusty.”
― T.E. Lawrence, Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph

today read in one of the Russian forums - some guy who claimed to be knowledgeable stated that manufacturer faced problem with radar. The active array radar requires regular cooling and gives significant heat emission. In ships it can be a large liquid cooling, in a flying aircraft it is also resolvable.... in a tank it is a problem.

Problem is resolvable but for now existing application is not reliable.